Cop let off in bribery case

A Delhi Police personnel trapped by the CBI in a bribery case has been acquitted after a protracted trial of 12 years with a court here noting the complainant and a key witness in the matter were habitual of lodging false complaints against public servants.

The CBI had alleged that Devender Rathi, then a sub- inspector, was caught accepting a bribe of Rs 8,000 in a trap laid on the complaint of one Anil Nijhawan in 2001.

“It is proved on record that the deposition of the complainant is full of material contradiction and he has already got trapped three public servants besides the accused,” special CBI judge V K Maheshwari said.

The court also noted that the bribe money recovered from Rathi was forcibly put in his pocket by one Kusum Sehgal, a close associate of the complainant, and a CBI witness who was part of the trap laid by the probe agency.

“It is also proved that Nijhawan, Sehgal and her husband were close associates. It is also proved on judicial file that Kusum Sehgal is habitual of lodging false/frivolous complaints against police officials/ public servants/public persons,” the court said.

The judge also noted that Kusum had filed writ petitions against public servants before the Delhi High Court which were dismissed with heavy costs imposed on her.

Besides, the high court had also directed to initiate proceedings against her for pursuing frivolous complaints against public servants.